Tunnel-crane.



No. 844,624. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907. E. L. SMITH.

TUNNEL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED APB.28,1906.

3 SHEETSSHIJET 1.

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Witnesses:

No. 844,624. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907. E. L. SMITH.

TUNNEL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses: In ventor:

' EdwardLSmZ/z.

W By his Attorney,

No. 844,624. .PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

I E. L. SMITH.

TUNNEL CRANE.

APPBIOATION FILED APR.28, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Inventor; Edam/"0'1, Sin/2%,

By his Attorney,

UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed April 28, 1906. Serial No. 814,179

To all whom (It may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. SMITH, a citizen' of the United States,residing in Breckenridge, in the county of Summit and State of Colorado,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tunnel-Cranes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to excavating machinery, especially that adaptedfor use in shafts or tunnels for placing the excavated material upon atruck or car to facilitate the rapid removal of the same from thetunnel.

The object of the invention is to provide a car that can be operatedalong a track laid in the tunnel and provided with means whereby a bodyor vessel loaded with the excavated material can be elevated and thenupon advancing the car such vessel can be placed on a car or truck thatruns on a narrow track and passes entirely underneath of the maincar-body;

In the azcompanying drawings, representing one embodiment of myinvention, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of themechanism in a tunnel, showing a portion only of the crane. Fig. 2represents a continuation of Fig. 1, showing the other portion of thecrane and its operation in the tunnel. Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation ofthe mechanism. Fig. 4 shows the mechanism on a smaller scale.

The apparatus is shown as operating in a horizontal shaft or tunnel,(denoted generally by T,) on the bottom of which is laid a track formedof rails 5 and 6, supported on suitable ties 7. A crane is pivotallysupported at one end of a car-platform 8, the upright member or post 9of which is pivoted in a block 10 on the platform by its lower end,While its upper end is pivotal] y supported by suitable tie-rods 11 and12, passing to the opposite end of the car-platform. The crane isprovided with a beam 13, extending from the lowerend of the post 9, andwhich is supported from the top ofthe post 9 by a tie-rod 14.

At the forward end of the beam 13 is ivotally supported a sheave 15,around w 'ch passes a cable 16, provided With a hook 17 for engagementwith a box or vessel 18, containing the excavated material. The otherendof the cable 16 is connected with any suitable hoisting mechanismoperated from the platform of the car. In the present construction atraveling member or trolley 19 is movable along the tie-rod 14 and hasone end .of the cable 16 secured thereto. This trolley is shifted towardthe crane-post by means of a cable 20, that is Wound around a drum 21.The cable 20' passes around a sheave 22 on the post 9, thence around asheave 23 on the trolley 19, thence around a second sheave 24 on He post9, and thence back to the trolley, and is secured thereto at 25. Whenthe cable 20 is wound up on thedrum 21, it will move the trolley towardthe car and raise the vessel 18. Obviously the unwinding of the drum 21will permit the vessel to descend and move the trolley outward.

The car-platform 8 is considerably elevated from the track, and at eachside is provided a supporting member 30, running the length of the car;These members at each end support wheels 31, that run on the tracks 5and -6, as shown in Fig. 3. The space between the side portions 30beneath the platform is sufficiently large to permit the passage of asmaller car, comprising a body portion or platform 32, mounted on anarrowgage truck, (denoted generally by 33,) which runs on rails 34 and35, la1d between the rails 5 and 6. This car, with the box or vessel 18placed thereon, can pass entirely underneath the crane-supporting carfrom one end to the other, and a number of them can be run under the carup to the end of the track in the tunnel.

When the vessel 18 has been elevated, the crane-car is run back by anysuitable means, either self-contained or external. In the present ormthere is a cross-shaft 36, supported on the platform 8 and provided withgears 37 and 38. Chains 39 and 40 run from these latter gears down togears 41 and 42, secured to the wheels 31 of the crane-car. Anotherchain 43 runs from a sprocket 44 on the shaft 36 back to a gear 45,mounted on an operating-shaft 46 on the platform 8. This shaft may beoperated by any suitable means, Which is not shown. It may be operatedfrom a motor or engine serving to drive the band-pulleys 47 on the shaft46, if desired. Also any suitable means may be provided for operatingthe drum 21, which are not shown.

By means of the chains and gears the crane-car is 'moved out until thebox 18 is ina position immediately above the smaller car, whereupon thebox may be deposited on the car-platform, as shown, or else its contentsdumped therein, as desired. This car can now be run out of the tunnel,emptied, 1 diate track and to pass entirely underneath and thereuponreturned, when the boxes 18 can be returned to the excavation by thecrane, or else a series of such cars may be provided, and the crane-carwill make successive trips back and forth to deposit the box 18 on thecars. Thereupon the train of filled cars can be run out, emptied, andreturned and the crane return the boxes to the excavation.

This construction has the advantage that a series of such small cars canbe used and the crane-car moved back andforth over them, which obviatesthe swinging around of the crane, that is obviously impossible in thenarrow limits of a tunnel. At the same time the crane can be given aslight side motion from side to side'of the tunnel to elevate thevessels'at different places. The long arm of the crane also has theadvantage that it can project a considerable distance beyond the end ofthe track and remove the material to permit the extension of the trackas the excavation advances.

Having thus described my invention, I- claim 1. In a device of thecharacter described, the combination with two lines of rails forming atrack, and two lines of rails laid intermediate said rails forming anarrow-gage track, of a car comprising a platform su ported on twoupright side members, whee s on the side members running on-the saidouter rails, a crane pivotally mounted on the car and provided with ahorizontal beam extending a considerable distance beyond the car, atrolley running along the beam, a vessel for containing the excavatedmaterial, means connecting the vessel and the trolley whereby theshifting of the trolley will elevate the vessel, means on the car foroperating the trolley, and a second car provided with wheels arranged torun on the said intermediate track and to pass entirely underneath thecar-platform between its sides, whereby the main car can be advancedupon elevating the vessel, to deposit the vessel upon said second car.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with twolines of rails forming a track, and two lines of rails laid intermediatesaid rails forming a narrow-gage track, of a car comprising a platformsupported on two upright side members, Wheels on the side membersrunning on the said outer rails, a crane pivotally mounted on'the carand provided with a horizontal beam extending a considerable distancebeyond the car, a trolley running along the beam, a vessel forcontaining the excavated material, means connecting the vessel and thetrolley whereby the shifting of the trolley will elevate the vessel,means on the car for operating the trolley, a second car provided withwheels arranged to run on the said intermethe car-platform between itssides, whereby the main car can be advanced upon elevating the vessel,to deposit the vessel upon said second car, and means on the platformfor operating the wheels of the main car to advance the same.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with twolines of rails form ing a car-track, and two lines of rails intermediateof said rails forming a narrow-gage track, of a car comprising aplatform supported on two upright side members, wheels on said membersrunning on the outer rails,a crane on the car-platform extending overthe track a considerable distance beyond the car, hoisting mechanismmounted on the carplatform and connected with the crane to elevate avessel at the projecting end of the crane, and a second car comprising abody, a truck, and wheels running on the said intermediate rails, thesecond car being of a size to pass entirely underneath the platform ofsaid car between its side members, whereby the crane supporting car canbe advanced to pass over said other car and deposit thevessel elevatedat the crane extremity upon said second car, a shaft mounted on theplatform of a car, a sprocket on each end of said shaft, sprockets onthe car-wheels, chains connecting the shaft-sprockets with the carwheelsprockets; a main shaft rotatably supported on the car, a sprocket onthe latter shaft, a third sprocket on the said other shaft on theplatform, and a chain connecting the latter sprocket with the sprocketon the driving-shaft, whereby the car-wheels are operated to advance thecar.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with twolines of rails forniing-a track, and two lines of rails laidintermediate said rails forming a narrow-gage track, of a car comprisinga platform supported on two upright side members, wheels on the sidemembers running on the said outer rails, a crane pivotally mounted onthe car and comprising an upright post pivotally supported on the car, abeam extending from the lower end of the post a considerable distancebeyond the car at one end, a tie-rod connecting the upper end of thepost with the outer extremity of the beam, a trolley running along thetie-rod, a sheave at the outer end of the crane, a cable secured to thetrolley by one end and passing over said sheave, a vessel for containingthe excavated material, means for removablv securin the vessel to theend of the cable beyom the sheave, whereby the shifting of thetrolleywill elevate said vessel, a sheave at the upper portion of theupright post, a cable secured to the trolley and'passing over saidsheave and thence downward to the platform of the car, a drum aroundwhich the latter end of the cable is wound, a second car provided withwheels arranged to run on the said intermediate track and to passentirely underneath the car-platform between its sides, whereby the maincar can be ad zanced upon elevating the vessel, to deposit the vesselupon said second car.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a pairof rails forming a track, and'a pair of rails laid intermediate saidrails forming a narrow-gage track, of a car comprising a platformsupported on two upright side members, wheels on the side membersrunning on the said outer rails, a crane pivotally mounted on the carand comprising an upright post pivotally supported on the car, a beamextending from the lower end of the post a considerable distance beyondthe car at one end, a tie-rod connecting the upper end of the post withthe outer extremity of the beam, a trolley running along the tie-rod, asheave at the outer end of the crane, a'cable secured to the trolley byone end and passing over said sheave, a vessel for containing theexcavated material, means for removably securing the vessel to the endof the cable beyond the sheave, whereby the shifting of the trolley willelevate said vessel, a sheave at the upper portion of the. upright post,a cable secured to the trolley and passing over said sheave and thencedownward to the platform of the car, a drum on the platform around whichthe latter end of the cable is wound, a second car provided with wheelsarranged to run on the said intermediate track and to pass entirelyunderneath the oar-platform between its sides, whereby the main car canbe advanced upon elevating the vessel, to deposit the vessel upon saidsecond car, and means on the platform for operating the wheels of themain car to advance the same.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with twolines of rails forming a track, and two lines of rails laid intermediatesaid rails forming a narrow-gage track, of a car comprising a platformsupported on two upright side members, wheels on the side membersrunning on the said outer rails, a crane pivotally mounted on the carand comprising an upright post pivotally supported on the car, a beamextending from the lower end of the post a considerabledistance beyondthe car at one end, a tie-rod connecting the upper end of the post withthe outer extremity of thebeam, a trolleyrunning along the tie-rod, asheave at the outer end of the crane, a cable secured to the trolley byone end and passing over said sheave, a vessel for containing theexcavated material, means for removably securing the vessel to the endof the cable beyond the sheave, whereby the shifting of the trolley willelevate said vessel, a sheave at the upper portion of the upright post,a cable secured to the trolley and passing over said sheave and thencedownward to the platform of the car, a drum on the platform aroundwhichv the latter end of the cable is Wound, a second car provided withwheels arran ed to run on the said intermcdiate track and to passentirely underneath the car-platform between its sides, whereby the maincar can be advanced upon elevating the vessel, to deposit the vesselupon said second car, a shaft mounted on the platform of a car, asprocket on each end of said shaft, sprockets on the car-wheels, chainsconnecting the shaft-sprockets with the car-wheel sprockets, a mainshaft rotatably supported on the car; a sprocket on the latter shaft, athird sprocket on the said other shaft on the platform, and a chainconnecting the latter sprocket with the sprocket on the driving-shaft,whereby the car-wheels are operated to advance the car.

EDWARD L. SMITH. Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, WILLIAM H. Ram.

